Keyboard for musical instruments and keys therefor



June 1o, 1952 N, ,JEWETT 2,599,999

KEYBOARD FOR MUSICAL* lNSTRUMENTS AND KEYS THEREF'OR Filed Aug. 23, 1946 n 2 SHEETS-SHEET l /Vells on fgfewe June 10, 1952 N J, JEWETT 2,599,999

KEYBOARD FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND KEYS THEREF'OR Filed Allg. 23, 1946 I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 d mm H /0 M Misma JJ'eweii E@ @iwf Sum/M4456 Patented June 10, 1952 KEYBOARD. FOR MUSICAL, INSTRUMENTS' AND KEYS THEREFOR' NelsonJ. J ewettArlington County, Va.;JohnvW; Jackson executor and. trustee of said Nelson J.

Jewett, deceased Application August 23, 1946, Serial No. 692,419-

13 Claims. I

The invention ,relates to keyboards and keys therefor, ofi the type utilizedin pipe organs, electronic organs and the like,

In av predecessor of' the present pipe organthe= tracker organ, the keysr served asy levers actuating abell crank which in turn pulled upon a member tomechanically open aV pipe valve. For thisY use, a key of considerable length was necessary` to secure the required leverage. It is within the ability of any organist to read music upon andv play the piano, the keys of the organ and piano being identical in finger area and arrangement. In the piano, the keys are also levers used to actuate a mechanical action to cause the hammers tov strike the strings, and length'- of? key is imperative.

In the evolution of the pipe organ when it was desired to cause pressure on the key to actuate a circuit closer, the easiest and most obvious course was to merely place a circuit closer under each key, theV key being of the old type.

One result of use-of the long keys, now conventional, is that aminimum drop between manual's, oia plural manual organ, is required inA orderl toprovide a frame for support of each bank of )keys and to allow the long keys of' each manual to project below the next higher manual. Thisdrop has become standardized at two and' one half inches. It resulted that it is impossible, with conventional keysand as a practical matter to build a console of two or more manuals, with a drop between manuals of substantially less than the standard.

Amongthe objects of the present invention are: toprovide keys'- of" a character to mak-el possibl'e the production of a plural manual organv with as little drop between manuals as desired; to provide a keyboard wherein the support for the keysaofv al plural manual organ may be made of thin sheet material; toprovide a support of' therespective keys of a plural manual organ made integrally by sheet metal stamping; to provide a keyboard chassis of sheet material which may be prewired and upon which the keys may be assembled in completely operative relation by mere plugging ofy a terminal or terminals carried bythe respective key switches into sockets provided therefor on the said chassis; to provide a form or key and switch that may be producedin quantity of the necessary'shapes by a manufacturer oi electrical apparatus best equipped for such. manufacture; to provide a novel. formy of double touch apparatus; to sirnplify the man-ufacture of organ consoles and tov 2 lessen the cost of organ consoles while improving their quality.

Further objects of: the invention will vappearv from the following description when readzin con, nection rwith the accompanying drawing showing illustrative embodiments of the inventionandwherein:

Figure 11 is a detail plan view of a portion ofy akeyboard showing keys in place;

Figs. 2 and Bare transverse sections respectively on lines 2--2` and 3 3.-a of` Figure 1 upony an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line- 4 4 oflig-l ure 1;

Fig. 5 isa view similar to Fig.. '4lof a second form` ot the invention;

Fig. 611s a view similar to-Fig. 2 of.' the form` of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the form` off Figures 1', to 3, inclusive, with the llinger tablets removed;

Fig. 8' is a vertical longitudinal section through. akey structure arranged for second touch;

Fig; 9 isa detail vertical longitudinal section off a still different form of the invention; and

Fig. 101 is a detail section on line Ill-HL of` Fig. 9.

As shown, thekey support or chassis of the key board is formed of thin sheet material andcomprises horizontal key supporting members Il and risers l2. The risers and supporting members mayY obviously be formed separately and be joined' at. the angles by riveting, welding or glueY ing. If formedl off sheet metal, as at present preferred, one or more of the angles may be formedintegrally as by die stamping.

Any preferredv form of circuit closer may be utilized. Merely for purpose of illustration a simple form` of push button partsis shown, comprising: a depressiblefspring contact I3 anchored? at I4; andi insulated froml the member Il, andi a stationary contact l5 which may be grounded on the support Il if the latter is metallic.

As shown. and inV accordance with the invent-ion, the nger contacted portion of` the key, orV the key tablet I6` of the white" keyszand I'1' of' the black keys are iloatingly supported by or f-ulcrumed upon thespring-which returnsthecircuit closer to normal open position. To provide such floating of the ringer tablets, they'aref'ormed with grooves or pockets at. the sides. or endsais indicated at I8, I9v into whichl project flanges or CIDS 210; I

They spring pressure exerted bythe circuitclos-v er, or4 by any additional springs. (not .shaw/ri) pressing: upwardly on the tablet: L1? .hold

key boxes.

the bottoms of the grooves or pockets I8, I9 against the clips or flanges. Downward movement of the tablet under playing finger pressure will be limited to the vertical width of the groove or pocket. Pressure adjacent either end of the tablet or either side thereof will cause tilting of the tablet because the pressed end or side is free to move downwardly and the opposite end or side cannot move upwardly. The result is a movement downwardly of the center of the tablet with closure of the circuit. Pressure upon the center of the tablet will move the same bodily downwardly.

The type of circuit closer at present preferred for use is that known as a precision or micro switch, with which only a small fraction of an inch of movement is necessary.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6, for illustration the nger tablets are floatingly supported by the springs I3 and held by clip 2| at the front end of the White keys which clip is shown as secured to the riser I2 by screw 22. The front ends of black keys are shown as held by clips 23 mounted on the member II and the rear ends of both are shown as held by clips 20 formed on a strip 24 secured to a riser I2 by screws 25.

To hold the tablets I6 and II, Figures 5 and 6, in laterally spaced position for clearance, the recesses I8 in their ends are preferably pockets, that is they do not extend clear across the width of the keys. The plates 2I and 24 may be continuous across the width of a plurality of keys and the clips 20 may be each a little less than the width of the pockets.

The self-contained key switch shown for illustration in Figures 1 to 4, 7 and 8 is at present the form preferred for use. This preference does not include the circuit closer there-shown, the preferred form of circuit closer being that stated above, for assembly with the key switch. In this form of self-contained key switch switch boxes are provided for each individual key, each selfcontained with circuit closer and finger tablet I6 or I1. Three forms for white keys and one form only for black keys are required. For this purpose a switch box is provided for each key comprising sides 26, bottom 21 and ends 28 in which the circuit closer is secured.

As shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 7, the flanges 20 are shown on the sides 2B of the boxes including the off-set portions contiguous to the black In the form of Fig. 8 the flanges are formed on the end walls of the boxes. It is obvious that inturned ilanges may be provided on both the side and the end walls of the boxes if desired, with corresponding grooves or pockets in all edges of the key tablets.

With keys acting upon the slight depression contemplated by the invention, there is a possibility of actuating two at once by finger overlap. To prevent such an action there are shown plates 23 carried by the sides of the switch boxes. In the case of the white keys the plates 29 are shown as extending upwardly flush with the upper surfaces of the key tablets and with the black keys, to lines below the top of the tablets.

For circuit connections, one side of each circuit closer may be electrically connected to a projecting terminal 30 carried by and insulated from the switch box to be plugged into a socket 3i carried by and insulated from the riser I2, which sockets may thus be prewired before the switch boxes are assembled upon the support. The remaining side of the circuit closer may be grounded upon the switch box to contact the metallic frame and support or upon a bus wire laid on the support if non-metallic. It is obvious that two terminals may be provided on each switch box if preferred with corresponding sockets upon the supporting structure.

An illustrative form of structure to provide for second touch is shown in Fig. 8. As there shown, a switch box is shown provided with a finger tablet I6 with grooves or pockets I8 in its ends. This switch box is in turn formed with grooves or pockets I8 immediately above its bottom, which bottom is supported on a second spring I 3 of greater resistance than the upper spring I3. The spring I3 is shown as insulated from the box bottom which it supports. Clips 20 are shown entering the grooves or pockets I8. A certain pressure upon the floating tablet I6 will close only the upper circuit closer and added pressure will close both the upper and lower circuit closer, the whole switch box of the first touch circuit closer being floatingly supported. By obvious additions a third touch could readily be provided.

It will be at once obvious that the anges 20, or clips 20 may be provided at all edges of each key instead of at opposite edges only as shown. Also it is within the purview of the invention to use clips at the longer edges but confined to the corners only. Moreover the fianges or clips may take over the upper surfaces of the keys, in which case stop means would be provided below the keys to limit the distance to which the key may be depressedif the circuit closer itself does not provide sufiicient stopping action.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 9 and 10 the clip 20 is shown as overlapping the upper surface of the key tablet I6. A member 32 is shown vertically slidable in ways 33 shown as formed on the end of the switch box. The member 32 is shown as formed with a flange and bead coacting with an appropriately shaped groove in the finger tablet I6 for slight pivotal movement. rIhe remaining end of the switch box and key tablet of this form will substantially duplicate that shown, except that the lower end of the member 32 may be arched between its edges to clear a terminal 30 if desired.

The form of the invention shown in Figs. 9 and 10 has the advantage that greater depression of the key may be had if necessary to operate some form of circuit closer or for a desired touchwithout undue increase of the thickness of the key tablet.

A further advantage of this form of the invention is that sidewise tilt of the keys under finger pressure will be largely eliminated by the guiding means of the vertical depression.

Coiled springs may be used to floatingly support the key tablets in all forms of the invention instead of or in addition to the spring of' the circuit closer, as is obvious.

By floating support as used herein and in the claims is meant a support of a key slab at or closely adjacent its center of gravity. The term is chosen as a concise expression because of analogy with a body floating in a liquid which will tilt about its center of buoyancy when pressed downward at any edge. For purpose of use as a musical instrument key there is combined with the floating body means to prevent upward movement of any margin.

Minor changes in the physical embodiments of the invention may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a key for electrically actuated musical instruments of the organ type providing successive closure of a plurality of circuits by successively increased pressure force; a plurality of depressible elements, each of said elements floatingly supported on the next element therebelow by resilient means increasing in spring force from the lower to the upper; the upper of said elements exposed for linger contact; circuit closing means below each of said elements for actuation by the depression of the element thereabove.

2. A plural manual key board of the organ type comprising, in combination, a stepped structure formed with a plurality of substantially level key supporting surfaces; a plurality of keys superimposed on each of said surfaces; each key comprising a switch box formed in plan to the shape of a key; said boxes each limited lengthwise substantially to the width of the surface upon which it is superimposed; a movable, fingercontacting member carried by each box; and a circuit closer in each box to be actuated by ringer pressure on its finger contacting member.

3. The combination of claim 2 in which said structure consists of thin sheet material.

4. The structure of claim 2 in which the structure is formed of sheet metal carrying terminal sockets for the respective keys electrically insulated from the structure and in which the boxes each carry a terminal electrically insulated therefrom, said terminals connected to one side of the circuit closer, entering the respective sockets when assembled on the structure and locating and securing the boxes in place against upward and lateral movement.

5. In a key for musical instruments of the organ type including a switch box of C, D or E organ key shape to form a part of the key: said switch box having a bottom, and side and end walls; at least one of said side walls formed with a portion offset toward the opposite side wall to provide a shoulder externally of the box, said shoulder dimensioned to fit about one side and a portion of one end of an adjacent black or sharp key of a key board, and resulting in a narrowed portion to extend along a side of said black or sharp key.

6. The structure of claim 5 with a contact terminal electrically insulated from the box and projecting from the end of its narrowed end.

7. In a key for musical instruments of the organ type, a switch box, key shaped in plan view; wall structures at least partially closing said box at its bottom and sides; a relatively thin key slab closing the upper side of said box; clip means each carried by a wall of the box and having angular portions respectively overlying opposite marginal portions of said slab to limit upward movement of said portions; resilient means pressing said slab to its upward limit of movement; a circuit closer; and means actuated by depression of said slab to close said circuit closer.

8. The key structure of claim '7 with resilient means to hold the circuit closer open' said resilient means also acting to press the slab upwards.

9. The structure of claim 8 wherein said resilient means acts to oatingly support said slab.

10. The structure of claim '7 wherein at least one wall of said box carries a connector terminal connected in circuit with the circuit closer.

11. A plural manual keyboard structure ,com-` prising a stepped structure formed with relatively horizontal and relatively vertical portions of sheet material; connector sockets carried by certain of said portions; a plurality of self-contained key structures each comprising a circuit closer housing and a circuit closing key slab; said key structures each including a connector terminal in circuit with the circuit closer and adapted for co-action with the respective connector sockets; whereby the keys may be assembled with the step structure by mere plugging in of said connector terminals.

12. An organ key board structure of sheet material, comprising: at least one horizontal sheet member providing a key supporting surface; and at least one vertical sheet member projecting from one edge of said horizontal member; the width and length of said horizontal member being both substantially equal to the superficial horizontal dimensions of a bank of organ keys to be supported thereby and the vertical extent of the vertical member being not less than the vertical thickness of said keys.

13. The structure of claim 12 when made of sheet metal, the horizontal and vertical members being integral with each other at meeting edges thereof.

NELSON J. JEWETT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 540,288 Witherel June 4, 1895 1,586,258 Mills Mar. 25, 1926 1,815,871 Douglas July 21, 1931 1,840,712 Grant Jan. 12, 1932 1,956,350 Hammond Apr. 24, '1934 1,979,633 Miessner Nov. 6, 1934 2,117,002 Hammond May 10, 1938 

